IBC HAS A NEW NAME | Indian Bible College

THE HISTORY OF THE NAME

Southwestern School of Missions (SWSM) began as a small grassroots endeavor with a student body of just four Navajo men. With a bold vision to see Native Americans empowered for effective leadership in the Church, the school has welcomed hundreds of indigenous men and women from North America and beyond through its doors over the last 65 years, expanding its horizons well beyond the Southwest. Twenty-seven years after its founding, SWSM adopted the name Indian Bible College. The new name was reflective of an exciting change in seasons for the school, which started offering bachelor’s degrees in biblical studies in 1985. The name also affirmed the school’s unique commitment to Native Americans of all tribal backgrounds. For almost four decades now, the school has been growing into its identity as Indian Bible College but is now growing beyond the confines of its name in an exciting way!

INDIGENOUS BIBLE COLLEGE, HISTORICALLY KNOWN AS INDIAN BIBLE COLLEGE

In the process of becoming a school that is built not only for Native followers of Jesus, but by them as well, we have recognized that young Native people are increasingly identifying themselves as indigenous. This word is significant not only in its meaning (“inhabiting or existing in a land from the earliest times”), but also because it is the only trans-national term that can be appropriately used to describe Native peoples from any part of the globe. As we reaffirm our commitment to providing a biblical, relational, and transformational education to Native believers of all cultures, we are thrilled to share that as of 2025, IBC is operating under the name Indigenous Bible College! This name is functioning as a DBA (“doing business as”), while we retain Indian Bible College as our legal name, so you are welcome to refer us by either one – or just IBC! We are excited to grow into this new name together and pray that it will open new doors for indigenous peoples from the United States, Canada, and beyond to enjoy a biblically formed education and transformational discipleship as part of the growing IBC community.

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